Homestead

Service is superb and food excellent. The chef and owner, Fred, was fantastic. He personally made sure my husband’s garlic and onion allergy was attended to and tweaked his dishes to accommodate us. It was very personal service and we loved the vibe, the passion for good sustainable, healthy, «real» food and the «honest» cooking. We sat at the communal table and it was great. Dishes are unique. Only thing I would say is the food was a bit salty and I had a wild mushroom side dish that was bland. But otherwise, the squash, rib eye and fried grits were excellent!

We have eaten many times at Homestead and have always enjoyed everything about this restaurant. I want to comment on having a larger party and using the room in the back. We hosted a birthday party of 10 people on a recent Saturday night and we loved it. The chefs at Homestead helped us plan a great 4 course menu, accommodated our vegetarian guests, and the general manager made some fabulous wine recommendations for our food. These guys have some of the freshest and best tasting food, not only in Oakland, but in the entire bay area. Some highlights included seared foie gras, fennel stuffed trout and roasted porchetta. Enjoyed every minute of it, including the fab desserts. Was it expensive, kinda, but was it worth it — ABSOLUTELY!

As always, had a wonderful dinner last night. My foodie NY friend and I shared a half bottle of French Chablis, 2 apps: grilled octopus, new potatoes, olive & citrus relish, parsley and artichokes cooked over the coals, maitake, chicories, lemon aioli, 1 entrée: the grilled duck, lentils du puy, carrots, rapini, salsa verde, pistachio, with a side order of wild rice. I don’t think we left a drop on our plates. Everything was delicious.
The service was warm and professional. We both enjoyed the evening and recommend to anyone looking for delicious food in a lovely ambiance. Oh, and parking is easy. Right out back parallel to the restaurant is a large parking lot that’s free after 6:00.

Very enjoyable experience! Staff was warm and friendly, food was amazing. Loved the use of fresh and local.

We had a fabulous dinner here for my sister’s 30^th birthday! Everyone was extremely friendly and couldn’t have been more inviting. We ordered nearly everything on the menu. My Dad and I both ordered the Pork Loin and were really impressed by the flavor and the fact it was super moist. We also ordered wild rice and squash that was absolutely fabulous!
Advice: if they have the cheesecake is available order it! it’s super delicious.
The atmosphere is fantastic for a small group or date!
We are definitely returning and are planning to check out the morning pastries and coffee.

Great atmosphere and food concept. The food just wasn’t amazing enough to justify a drive across the bridge. It was also pretty pricey for the Sunday supper. It was packed on a rainy Sunday night so obviously people from Piedmont really like this restaurant.

3.5 stars. It’s an expensive place. Cost us about $ 168 for 2 for dinner but the price includes the ti[. It is the first place we’ve been to that includes the tip into the price of the menu.
We started off with a glass of red wine, $ 15 and pomegrante spritzer $ 5.
Their bread was good but I have had better.
I really enjoyed the seafood consommé’ and Hubby had chickory salad and liked it.
He really liked his rib eye dinner with tender slices of ribeye. I had the seared opah with was cooked liked seared tuna. Very tender and there was curry in the sauce which was good.
My favorite dish there was the side of roasted brussels sprouts — cooked with mustard seeds that added a pop of flavor and lovely lemon juice.
Dessert was my least favorite. Hubby had the apple tart and said he liked my homemade lemon squares better. I had a persimmon cake which was too sweet and dry. The sorbet was good and I would’ve preferred a scoop of that instead.
Service was good and Sue, our waitress answered questions I had about the dishes. The time interval between the entrée and dessert was slow and I wasn’t sure why that was the case.
If I were in the East Bay I’d come here for dinner but I wouldn’t make a drive over the bridge just to dine here.

My wife and I love to come here in the mornings between 8 – 12 when they are open as a cozy café/​bakery. Good coffee, lots of nice breakfast options — from homemade donuts to egg frittatas and homemade toast + jam — and a very nice atmosphere to come and get some work done or meet a friend. I like looking up periodically and seeing the chefs already starting the prep work for whatever they will be serving later that evening.
I’ve only eaten here once for dinner but the food was lovely and prepared with care. I need to get back soon!

I had a great meal at Homestead last night. The prices include gratuity and they are up front and let customers know first thing.
They have an open kitchen that looks like very similar to a home kitchen-​warm and welcoming.
I had the steak for my main dish and it was perfect-​the meat was tender, moist and full of flavor. We selected a Spanish red which was medium bodied and spicey tones. Perfect with my steak.
Good service until the end when it took a while to get our persimmon cake. It was worth the wait.
I’ll definitely return.

Officially, Homestead is our favorite restaurant! Since my last review, we have been to Homestead for several Sunday suppers and a couple of regular weekday dinners. We have been consistently been impressed with the food produced by Homestead. During the weekdays, Homestead offers a delicious menu with a couple of different options for each course. And being a lover of carbs, I have to give a special mention of the delicious bread that Homestead serves with dinners.
Our favorite part of Homestead, though, is their amazing Sunday suppers. Some Sunday suppers that we have had include clam chowder in a bread bowl, SF Beer Week 2015, and today’s Sunday supper! Today’s Sunday supper included a winter chicory salad, chicken pot pie, and banana split. What’s great about Homestead’s Sunday supper is that they try to accommodate the dietary preferences of their guests. For example, my fiancé is vegetarian, so everytime we come to Homestead for Sunday Supper, they adjust the meal to satisfy his vegetarianism. So, today, instead of chicken pot pie, he had a mushroom pot pie, which he thoroughly enjoyed. The chicken pot pie was to die for also. We have to stop ourselves from going to Homestead every Sunday. But, if the menu looks amazing, we won’t be able to keep ourselves from going!
Also, since my last review, Homestead has started paying their employees a living wage. As a result, they no longer charge gratuity. Great to see a restaurant caring so much about their employees!

This is my favorite restaurant which says a lot. The meal has been delicious every time.
Sundays they have a prix fixe meal which is a great value.

We had an interesting meal. Their house made bread and butter are fantastic! I think the best bread I’ve ever had. The salads were delicious. Wine list solid. I think we ended up ordering a riesling we all enjoyed. The entrees were mixed. Frankly, mine was awful. It was the one veg entrée and it was a cauliflower, grits and puttanesca. I like all three so I don’t know what it was about it that I didn’t like. I had two bites and went back to eating bread. Two of my dining mates had the pork chop which they said was fine and I cannot remember what our 4^th ordered but he liked it. For dessert we had the chocolate cake with the stout ice cream and peanut brittle. It was delicious.
With everything being fine to excellent except my entrée, I think I would try Homestead again.
The space is cute and the service is friendly.

I feel so grateful that a place like Homestead is only a few minutes away from where I live.
I took one of my best friends here for her birthday and we both had such a lovely time. The interior is very nice, cozy, rustic, and romantic– with a long open kitchen with an exposed open fire.
I appreciate short, simple menus – in this case there’s first (mostly salads), second (more appetizers), third (main course) and desert on a separate menu. There are about 3 – 4 choices in each category. Basically, for the main course, you have a choice between seafood, beef and poultry. The wine list is quite expansive and has quite a few bottles within the $ 30-​$ 40 price range.
My friend and I shared the goat cheese crostini, bone marrow and the swordfish entrée. Every bite screams fresh ingredients and impeccable preparation! We shared an affogato for desert but kind of wish we explored the other ones.
Service is friendly and prompt without being overbearing.
Next time, I am coming for their «Sunday Supper».

Divine. What a dining experience should be. Locally sourced ingredients (yes those peppers on the wall are real and are used to cook with!). Everything is made from scratch. The bread is rolled out in the evening, and baked fresh in the morning. The home-​jarred tomatoes on the wall in the back are used for sauces, even the butter for your bread is homemade. And it shows in the flavor of the food. The chef doesn’t use heavy sauces to cover up, and balances the true flavors of the food perfectly.
Reservations are definitely recommended as this is a smaller space. Don’t expect to walk off the street with 12 people and be seated immediately. The staff was very warm and friendly, and really care about the quality of the product they are putting out.
The menu changes daily with a full change weekly depending on what ingredients are available or in season. The wine list is carefully crafted, and the extent of the staff’s wine knowledge went above and beyond expectations. Each wine was selected for a purpose, and they even had a riesling selection that will change your mind about what a riesling can be.
From start to finish, Homestead delivered one of the best dining experiences I have ever had, and I have dined at the best restaurants in San Francisco/​Bay Area.

Been there twice. First time I ordered food and realized they did not take credit cards… seriously. At least for breakfast it’s cash only. You know what… just charge me the 3% and make it easy? OK
Second time had cash and wanted to try it. Good. Really rich. Some of the most amazing bread and preserves I have ever had.
They would probably had gotten 4 stars if they took credit cards and I did not have to abandon my breakfast and sit through a meeting hungry that one day… I’m really not over that yet.

My absolute favorite place on Piedmont Ave. I love the food, the ambiance and all the staff are super friendly and helpful. We probably come to Homestead every two months. We would come more often, but it would not be good for our wallets!
The food: They offer a first course, second course, and third course and then sides, and of course dessert. The first and second courses are on the smaller side so it’s best to get multiple orders of something or one of each and the whole table shares. Also, the menu changes frequently, which i love.
For this visit, we started with a Radicchio and kale salad with pears, walnuts, and parmigiano reggiano. Super light and a great palette cleanser.
Next was the house cure lomo (pork) thinly sliced with grilled endive, lemon, olives and mint. I love how the sweetness of the grilled endive was balanced with the citrus dressing. We also had the pappardelle pasta with duck confit, cherry tomatoes and sherry. This was a super rich dish and the duck confit seemed to just melt in your mouth. Last on the shared plates was the smoked trout with crime fraiche, radishes and wafer like crackers. Out of this world!
We all ordered separate third courses. I had the seared red snapper with leeks and sourdough toasted with a dill spread. The fish was fresh, light, and flaky.
For dessert, I went for the panna cotta. I highly recommend this! The persimmons and pecans with the spiced Chantilly balanced well with the richness and creaminess of the panna cotta.
See you soon, Homestead!

Homestead is one of my favorite restaurants, not only in the Bay, but in life in general.
They do this wonderful Sunday Supper, where you have a set menu, which seems to make some people wary, but you can view the menu in advance on the website (scroll all the way to the bottom), and every Sunday Supper we have had has been wonderful. We had this chicken cooked in the fireplace that was unreal and hands down the best chicken I’ve ever had in my life. Every week has a different theme, and I’ve never been disappointed.
They also have an awesome wine list, and every single person that works here, including the owners, are the nicest, sweetest, most welcoming people.
Make sure to make a reservation and enjoy yourself!

Excellent meal at Homestead a few days ago on their 2 year anniversary; a crudo with an unusual and tasty coconut vinaigrette, and I reveled in the leg of lamb from the fireplace while my wife loved the roast pork on fresh creamed corn with cherry tomatoes and basil. Terrific desserts.
The new thing, people you should really check this out, is a new wine cellar menu with some really outstanding bottles at shockingly reasonable prices. Some really good french and italian stuff, and California too of course. And this food is really wine friendly/​compatible. Wine lovers should be flocking here to empty the cellar.

What is up with this place — why is everyone soooooooooooooo nice? No seriously, why was everyone (host, waiter, server, manager) so super nice. Weird.
This is my newest favorite restaurant. Food — 4 stars, service — 5 stars, ambiance — 5 stars, speed — 5 stars. From the moment we sat down until we left was a magical experience. Did you know tip is not accepted here because everyone is paid a living wage — yeah, it’s that kind of restaurant.
The duck fat potatoes were delicious as was the ravioli and their version of melon and prosciutto.
We sat in the back communal table — it was wonderful — windows all around and a beautiful butcher block high table.
I will definitely be coming back in a heart beat.

Great food, great service, great ambiance! Yes, a little on the pricier side, but worth it for the quality!
For appetizers, got the mushroom ragu– was a lot better than I expected. Tasted less like a traditional ragu– the «sauce» wasn’t very potent, very refreshing and subtle in taste. The shrimp on the other hand was so flavorful and tasty!
For the main course, I got the rack of lamb. It was soooo good. Well the first piece I had was because it was medium rare. OMG delicious! Cooked in a spit fire technique, it was awesome. I just wish all the pieces were medium rare, because the done pieces just were too cooked for my liking.
For dessert, we got the Napoleon, at the recommendation of the waitress and it was soooo good. I loved the lightness of the wafers with the cream mixed with the blackberries.
The waiters even shared some special white wine they received that night with us. People here have a great attitude and it’s really infectious. Will be back!